Marine powered generator



Oct. 6, 1964 s. RosENBERG G RR O l NN EE sm M 1 2 4 7 R% 11|. m1 E f d Gl, l D 3 H| E i 1. l W J F d 9 8 5 0 E 222 4 l N v .lll MF 3 \|r|l A n.r IMIIIHH w ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 'lhis invention relates toa marine power generator and particularly to a generator having a platemounted adjacent the water level of a body oi water in position formoving m response to the driving force of water waves to operate a powertransmitting mechanism.

This marine power generator is designed to utilize a portion o thetremendous orces that are available in tidal and other water waves andto convert these forces into useful energy. Pi`he generator includes adock or other sturdy support that is anchored with an upstanding part inthe path of water waves. The dock pivotally supports a steel plate thatnormally rests away from the dock, but that can be pivoted toward thedock by the driving force or" a wave str l' ig the plate. A pistonassembly or other power transmitting device is mounted between the plateand the dock. with the piston or movable element of the assembly beingconnected for reciprocation when the plate is driven by the waves. Thec3 inder within which the piston slides is connected to a huid supplywhich lls the cylinder on the exhaust stroke of the piston. Upon adriving stroke of the piston, which occurs when the plate is pivoted bya water wave, the iiuid is driven through an outlet port from thecylinder and delivered by a conduit to a point of utilization.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a marine powergenerator having a movable plate positioned for movement in response tothe driving force of water waves to generate useful power.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pivotally supportedplate positioned in the path of ori-coming water waves with the platebeing connecte to the piston of a piston and cylinder assembly havingiluid supply and outlet ports, wherein the reciprocaion of the pistoncauses circulation or" the huid for the generation of power.

Gther objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in theart.

ln the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of power generator in its normalposition;

FEGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the marine power generator in aposition immediately following a power generating stroke;

FEGURE 3 is a fragmentary front elevation view, partly in section, ofthe marine power generator; and

llGUl 4 is a fragmentary isometric view of the power transmitting partso the invention.

IThe support for the marine power generator is illustrated in the formof a pair of spaced posts or dock members 1u which project upwardlyabove the surface of a body or water 1l. rhese posts 1d may be anchoredto the iloor of water 11, or they may be supported upon Heats (notshown) so that they will rise and fall with the changing water level.

rhe dock members 1i) have brackets 12 attached to them near the surfaceof the water l1. A steel plate 13 has a pair or" mating brackets nearits lower end that are pivotally connected at 1S to the brackets 12through suitable bearings such as roller bearings or the like. Thecenter of gravity of the plate 13 is above the brackets 14- so that theplate 13 normally tends to swing outwardly away from the dock members1t?. lr

esired, a weight could be attached near the top oi the the marine3,ll,564 Fatented Get. 6, 1964 lCe plate 13 to speed its return tonormal position. Ther is a stop 16 supported by the dock members 1t),the outer end 17 of which limits the swinging movement of the plate 13when the lower end of the plate 13 abnts the end 17 of the stop 16.There is a bumper guard 1S supported near the upper end of the dockmembers l@ against which the plate 13 hits when pivoted toward the dockmembers to prevent damage to the power transmitting mechanism to bedescribed. Both the bumpers 16 and 1% are covered with a resilientsubstance, such as rubber, to relieve the impact with the steel plate13.

A bracket 243 is attached to each dock member near the hinged brackets12. The bracket 16 pivotally supports the lower end of a cylinder 21.The cylinder 21 has an inlet port 22 and an outlet port 23 in it. Thereis a piston member 2d that is slidable within the cylinder 21 with a rod25 attached to the piston member 2d to cause it to reciprocate,

The free end 26 of the rod 25 has a hole 27 through it. There are a pairof rocker arms 2S and 29 having ends 3@ and 31, respectively, positionedadjacent one another and on opposite sides of the ends 2e of the rod 25.A pin 32 passes through the ends 39 and 31 of the rocker arms 28 and 29and through the end .26 of the rod to pivotally connect together therods 2S and 29 and the piston rod 25. A mounting bracket 34 is attachedto the dock member 19 and an end 35 of the rocker arm Z3 is pivotallysupported by the bracket 34. A similar bracket is attached to the plate13 and the end 37 of the rocker arm 29 is pivotally attached to thebracket 3d. All of the connections of the rocker arms and 29 and of thepiston rod 25 may have suitable roller bearings or the like to reducefriction.

Ey means of the connections just described, the rocker arms 2S and 29cooperate somewhat in the manner of a hinge as the steel plate 13 pivotsabout the bracket connections 15. The pivoting of the rocker arms 2S and29 causes the piston rod 25 to reciprocate between the positionsillustrated in FlGURE l and FEGURE 2. This, in turn, causes the pistonmember 24 to reciprocate within the cylinder 2l.

A flexible duid conduit il is connected to the inlet port 22 of thecylinder. Another exible uid conduit il is connected to the outlet portZ3. The flexible conduit 40 has a one-way valve d2 that permits fluidilow only into the cylinder 21, as indicated by the arrow in FIGURE l. Aone-way valve 43 permits iluid ow in the conduit 41 in a direction outof the cylinder only.

ln operation, when a Wave strikes the plate 13, the force of the wavedrives the plate from the position shown in FlGURE l toward the positionshown in FlGURE 2 until the plate strikes the bumper 18. As the plate 13pivots about the hinge connections 15, it acts through the lever armassemblies 28 and 29 to raise the piston member 24. This forces iluidout of the cylinder through the outlet port 23. The valve 42 preventsiluid from escaping through the inlet port 22. T his iluid which isdriven from the cylinder 21 is transmuted through the conduit 41 to apoint of utilization. The several cylinders 21 may be connected to asingle duid receiver, or each may be connected to a dierent one.

When the water wave passes, the plate 13 falls away from the dockmembers 1?. As the plate returns to the position of FIGURE l, the pistonis. returned to its original position. This movement of the piston isits suction stroke during which it draws uid from the conduit 4t)through the inlet port Z2. Buring the suction stroke, the valve 43prevents fluid from entering the cylinder from the conduit 41. Thus, theback and 3 forth movements of the plate 13 cause fluid to circulatethrough the conduits 40 and 41.

If desired, the dock members 10 could be mounted upon floats. Then t'nemarine power generator would rise and fall With the level of the sea,and the plate 13 would always be in the path of the water waves.

Whiletwo cylinders 21 are shown in the drawing, other members or otherforms of cylinders might be used.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the process of thisinvention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Suchchanges and modifications are within the scope and teaching of thisinvention as dened by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is: v

A marine power generator comprising a dock project- Y ing above thesurface of a large body of Water, a generally vertical plate pivotallysupported adjacent its base by the dock, the plate being exposed to opensea waves, means for normally pivoting the plate away from the dock,stop means on the dock engageable by the lower end of the plate forlimiting the'pivotal movement of the plate away from the dock, the stopmeans being'positioned to stop the plate at an acute angle to thevertical plane so the plate will be affectedby'horizontally movingwaves, bumper means on the dock engageable by the upper end of the platefor limiting the pivotal movement of the plate toward the dock inresponse to horizontally moving waves, and power generating meansconnected to the plate for generating power as the plate moves.

References Cited the tile of this'patent` UNITED STATES PATENTS

